Front end noise

ellinj · 02-26-2012, 08:31 PM

My 2012 CT has developed some sort of clunking sound coming from the front end. It's pretty reproducible by driving over a speed bump, sounds like two pieces of metal hitting each other coming from the front right of the vehicle.

Also, seems to occur when going over rough pavement or anything where there is a dip in the road?

Any ideas? I am going to call tomorrow and see if I can make an appointment, not sure I should wait till my first oil change which could be a few months away.

jaycz · 02-26-2012, 08:38 PM

Take it in.

Xaque · 02-27-2012, 07:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ellinj

My 2012 CT has developed some sort of clunking sound coming from the front end. It's pretty reproducible by driving over a speed bump, sounds like two pieces of metal hitting each other coming from the front right of the vehicle.

Also, seems to occur when going over rough pavement or anything where there is a dip in the road?

Any ideas? I am going to call tomorrow and see if I can make an appointment, not sure I should wait till my first oil change which could be a few months away.

This could be any number of things. It could be something as simple as a rock stuck up above a splash guard, to a heat shield that has become lose, all the way to a broken spring or suspension part.

This is mostly likely the type of thing that is nothing... but it could be something serious. My advice is to take it in immediately.

ellinj · 02-27-2012, 03:49 PM

Appointment made for Thursday morning.

veasnalong · 02-28-2012, 11:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ellinj

Appointment made for Thursday morning.

If you can keep us update if they find any problem would be nice to know.

MichiganRich · 02-28-2012, 10:58 PM

Mine has done that since the day I drove it home. Seems most pronounced when it's 'floating' over a rumbly road, not speeding up or slowing down. Weight transfer and all that.

It also vibrates under acceleration from about 20mph to 25mph, which bugs the shit out of me.

Not surprisingly, the service write says 'they all do that' and I feel like I'm going to try and get a next-level response, whatever that may be.

gnwelch · 02-28-2012, 11:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MichiganRich

Mine has done that since the day I drove it home. Seems most pronounced when it's 'floating' over a rumbly road, not speeding up or slowing down. Weight transfer and all that.

It also vibrates under acceleration from about 20mph to 25mph, which bugs the shit out of me.

Not surprisingly, the service write says 'they all do that' and I feel like I'm going to try and get a next-level response, whatever that may be.

Does that sound like a muffled plastic/rubber on plastic/rubber rattling sound? If so, does it come from the right side of the car, perhaps near the front wheel well?

My new 2012 Crosstour has had this rattling sound under similar circumstances to what you described.

ellinj · 03-01-2012, 11:35 AM

The dealer was unable to reproduce the sound, despite my specific instructions. They did however put it on the lift and found a torn CV boot which was leaking grease on the same side I was complaining about.

They ordered the part and they will replace it on Saturday.

Hopefully that will turn out to be what the noise was, if not I will need to go on a road test with them.

MertCheney · 03-16-2012, 02:26 PM

Our Crosstour has had the same front end clunk and or noise. This one is left side and I believe that it is in the struts. The dealer says they can't duplicate it.

Mert Cheney

Aceman · 03-16-2012, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MichiganRich

Mine has done that since the day I drove it home. Seems most pronounced when it's 'floating' over a rumbly road, not speeding up or slowing down. Weight transfer and all that.

It also vibrates under acceleration from about 20mph to 25mph, which bugs the shit out of me.

Not surprisingly, the service write says 'they all do that' and I feel like I'm going to try and get a next-level response, whatever that may be.

This is getting confusing because I think these are two different issues, the vibration from 20-25mph issue is a thread now of its own started by a new user the other day.

The rumbling thing and the torn CV boot are also different things (though did the new CV boot fix that poster's noisiness?).

I think it would also help if people identified if their CT was 2wd or awd and now 4cyl or 6cyl as well when they are reporting problems like this.

-ace

Aceman · 03-16-2012, 03:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ellinj

My 2012 CT has developed some sort of clunking sound coming from the front end. It's pretty reproducible by driving over a speed bump, sounds like two pieces of metal hitting each other coming from the front right of the vehicle.

Also, seems to occur when going over rough pavement or anything where there is a dip in the road?

Any ideas? I am going to call tomorrow and see if I can make an appointment, not sure I should wait till my first oil change which could be a few months away.

The speed bump and dip in the road thing make me think it might be a damper going bad and hitting the bump stop. . .but, that's total speculation, it could be any number of things.

It's also weird that it's happened to two posters both in the front right area, that makes me think it's not the damper bump stop because it should be randomly occurring, unless maybe the vehicle is disproportionately heavy in that corner.

I checked TSBs for the CT and there are none for any suspension stuff (yet).

Let us know what you guys find out.

-ace

ellinj · 12-05-2012, 11:49 PM

A year later, the dealer was finally able to fix this issue. It was elusive because it was only really present during colder temps. Turns out it was the left fenderwell. Removing the fenderwell caused the noise to go away. Replacing the fenderwell caused the noise to return. They took one off of a car on the lot and put it on my car, noise gone. They weren't really sure what was wrong with the one on my car.